The present invention relates to devices for sending and receiving electromagnetic waves.
The patent application WO 99/35711, for example, describes such a device which includes a sending chip and a receiving chip, each perpendicular to a waveguide formed by an end cap and by a rod which defines a common sending and receiving direction of the device.
The sending chip comprises a power amplifier which delivers an electrical signal to the waveguide and thus generates the electromagnetic wave to be sent out. The sending chip is generally called an SSPA (Solid State Power Amplifier: semiconductor power amplifier) electronics card.
For its part, the receiving chip includes a low-noise amplifier which receives, as input, the signal output from the waveguide. The receiving chip is thus generally called an LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) electronics card.
The inventors have taken into consideration the thermal and electromagnetic problems due to the presence of these two chips or electronics cards in the device.
In order to remedy these problems, they propose a device for sending and receiving electromagnetic waves along an antenna axis comprising a sending electronics card defining a first length and a receiving electronics card defining a second length, in which the first length extends essentially from the antenna axis, in which the second length extends essentially from the antenna axis, and in which the first length and the second length define between them an angle of at least 90xc2x0 in projection in a plane perpendicular to the antenna axis.
The above angle should be understood as an angle between two straight-line segments which have a common extremity (antenna axis) and which can therefore vary in a general way between 0xc2x0 (segments coincident) and 180xc2x0 (segments aligned but opposed with respect to the antenna axis).
According to other advantageous characteristics,
at least one of the said electronics cards is movable in rotation with respect to a part of the device about a first axis;
the said part of the device has a shape suitable for the said movable card to pass through during its rotation;
the sending electronics card and the receiving electronics card are movable about the first axis and the sending electronics card and the receiving electronics card are situated respectively on either side of the first axis along the antenna axis;
the sending card carries a power amplifier on its face opposite the receiving card;
the face of the sending card which is turned towards the receiving card constitutes an earth plane;
the face of the sending card which is turned towards the receiving card carries a radiator;
the sending card extends away from the receiving card with respect to the antenna axis;
the first length and the second length form an angle of 90xc2x0.
Put another way, a device is proposed for sending and receiving electromagnetic waves including an antenna, a sending electronics card, a receiving electronics card, in which the sending electronics card possesses a first extremity opposite an antenna-connection extremity, in which the receiving electronics card possesses a second extremity opposite an antenna-connection extremity and in which the first extremity and the second extremity are separated by an angle of at least 90xc2x0 with respect to the antenna in projection in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the antenna.
The antenna is, for example, connected to each of the electronics cards in the region of a primary source of the antenna, such as a waveguide. The primary source may also be of another type, for example with spirals or with printed elements.